On the Road
I am completely and totally envious of this guy. (Also, here). Ashley and I met him last night at the Pig and Whistle (and because I've had a serious lack of content that didn't revolve around the house or the move and because she has funny material involving life-sized bananas and apples, I'm the one that gets to post about this). So, Young Jake (as I'll call him) took a sabbatical from his job in Seattle, bought a bike (named Billie, I think), and set out on the road. He followed/paralleled Rte. 66 on his trip east.
(Unfortunately, I had a little too much to drink last night so this post isn't going to be as interesting or as brilliant as composed in my head last night while talking to this guy -- but that's okay, later today, maybe, you'll get to read Ashley's post about bananas and apples, and I believe there should be at least one picture to go with this. Don't be surprised if the post begins or ends with "This is what my life has come to" or something like that. Also, Jake's Tweets and Myspace entries capture his adventure much better than I could).
Anyway, Young Jake is traveling across the country via motorcycle, staying with friends where he has them, hostels when available, camping when its nice, motel-ing it when there's no other choice. He's picking local spots over chains (although he did have one of the best burgers ever at the Denny's in Tucumcari) and spent yesterday in Soulard (in part, I suppose, because that's where the hostel is) touring the brewery, and hanging out at the Pig (among other places).
God, what I wouldn't do to be able to do what he's doing. My contingency plan should Tom die and leave me high and dry and alone has always been to spend my mourning months in Key West; now I'm thinking that a road trip across the country, my old dream of driving Rte. 66, might replace Key West as the Widow Plan. I could scatter pieces of Tom from Chicago to Santa Monica. (The reality of the situation is there's no way I could ever convince Tom to make this trip with me unless he were dead).
Big dreams for someone who leaves the 63104 zip code approximately twice a month.
so...
i'll do you the honor of typing a personal message, 'cause it's only fair.
as i was catching up in my journal today, trying to account for the last 49 days of my life on the road, i came to the part of the story where i met two lovely ladies in St. Lou who more or less flipped a coin to see who would have the chance to blog about our encounter...
...but i couldn't for the life of me remember their names.
i ran from my grandfather's back porch up to my laptop where i looked up the facebook picture i have of the three of us, having documented your names and blogs there, copied them down, and returned to telling the story of my new found friends and memories in Soulard.
then, on a whim later tonight, I went back to read both your and ashley's blog (I'm sure you know by now, but she wrote a bit about me too, in spite of the fact that you won the coin toss...) And i was both moved and inspired.
I wanted to say 'Thanks,' Again for the drinks and the conversation and the chance to meet with the two of you.
It is a moment in my life that i'll not soon forget, and I promise you that having met the two of you, from the chance to say "two gals in St. Louis fought over which one got to blog about me," to the words you actually said have impacted me deeply and i'm very grateful.
ok. enough of that. I hope all is well, and You should know that both you and Ashley are in the Moleskine you revered so much.
amor fati,
-j-